AUSTIN, Texas—There have been 52 mass school shootings in the U.S. so far this year—so of course, this past June, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 11, which will make it legal for any licensed person to carry a concealed handgun on Texas university campuses beginning in August of 2016, and not everyone's happy about that. In fact, some opponents have formed a protest group with a Facebook page: Campus (DILDO) Carry, which is encouraging students to "openly carry" huge dildos around their campuses, possibly in violation of University of Texas rules—an irony not lost on the Facebook posters.
"The State of Texas has decided that it is not at all obnoxious to allow deadly concealed weapons in classrooms, however it DOES have strict rules about free sexual expression, to protect your innocence," wrote protest organizer Jessica Jin. "You would receive a citation for taking a DILDO to class before you would get in trouble for taking a gun to class. Heaven forbid the penis."
Actually, the Fifth Circuit legalized the sale and display of sex toys in a 2008 decision, Reliable Consultants, Inc. v. Earle, but apparently Texas officials in charge of the state's college campuses haven't gotten that message.
Perhaps not coincidentally, the Facebook protest page was launched the same day that one student was killed and another wounded in a shooting on the campus of Texas Southern University, and since then, at least two forums have been held to discuss the new concealed-carry law, with most attendees coming out against it and urging university officials to heed their concerns.
"I need this proliferation of dildos to offer people a visual representation of what it would be like if we all carried guns," Jin told the Houston Chronicle. "It should look ridiculous to you. That is the point. This is America. If guns and bloodshed don’t wake people up, a public celebration of sexuality may just do the trick."
The protest, dubbed a "strap-in," will occur on August 24, 2016, the first day students will attend classes during that fall semester, and as of today, more than 4,100 students had signed up to participate. They've even got a Twitter hashtag: #CocksNotGlocks.
"You're carrying a gun to class? Yeah well I'm carrying a HUGE DILDO," Jin wrote on the Facebook protest page. "Just about as effective at protecting us from sociopathic shooters, but much safer for recreational play."
The page does warn students that dildo carriers will be breaking University of Texas rules; specifically Sec. 13–201, "Obscenity," which reads, "No person or organization will distribute or display on the campus any writing or visual image, or engage in any public performance, that is obscene. A writing, image, or performance is 'obscene' if it is obscene as defined in Texas Penal Code, Section 43.21 or successor provisions, and is within the constitutional definition of obscenity as set forth in decisions of the United States Supreme Court."
Jin is probably wrong about the law, which specifically exempts "an actual three dimensional obscene device" from the definition of "obscene materials," but that doesn't mean the university won't target openly carrying students anyway.
"ANYBODY can participate in solidarity: alum, non-UT students, people outside of Texas. Come one dildo, come all dildos," Jin wrote, adding, "Participate at your own risk. But can you imagine the gongshow that would be UTPD/APD trying to chase down thousands of students wielding harmless dildos around campus?"
"Note: I know that quality dildos, especially super large ones, can be a little pricey," she added. "If we can gather enough willing participants, I will personally take it upon myself to put in the time and legwork to find a dildo supplier sponsorship."
Hmmm ... we can't help but wonder if someone reading this might be able to help Jin out?
